TV show Alone situation

Which knife?

  • Field Knife

  • Heavy Duty Field Knife aka NASK

  • Light Chopper

Results are only viewable after voting.
xxwarderxx

xxwarderxx

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For those who are aware of the Alone tv show, if you were a contestant on the show, and were limiting only 1 of your 10 items to a knife, which would you take to brave Vancouver Island aka Lorien's home turf?

Field Knife

HDFK aka NASK

Light Chopper

Keep in mind, some (most?) contestants also bring an axe, saw, or similar tool for large processing of wood as a 2nd item but with only 10 items each spot is extremely valuable.
 
Well.. I'm going with field knife..

Having never used any of those, I'd have to stick with the system I've become accustomed to. A nimble blade for feathering tinder and processing small game is pretty important for me. Processing firewood can take way too much time and energy without an axe, so I feel like I'd have to bring one with either the field knife or the Fluffy NASK. I'm not sure if I would be able to process wood easily enough long term with the LC, and giving up the accuracy of a bushcraft sized blade just doesn't make sense.

Fire and shelter have to happen fast in order to maintain your ability to collect more firewood, purify water and dedicate time to trapping and hunting.

Also, that far north, the rain can really screw you up. You can't rely on the stuff on the ground to be usable firewood if you're trying to move around. Hunting a specific area for too long will "use up" the area. Animals know when you're around. A regular camp rotation would have to happen in order to prevent longer hunting excursions. I'd be planning on having to make and re-make my camp several times.. I just don't see myself being efficient long term without an axe.
 
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The FK would definitely be a nicer blade for smaller tasks if you have an axe. If you leave the axe and take a saw, I'd go NASK.
 
If an Axe was available, I would take the FK, or NASK! No Axe the LC all day! I have always believed the 2 Knife system is the ideal situation-EDC or Field Knife with a Light Chopper! I also believe a large knife can accomplish all the tasks a small knife can, But a small knife cannot accomplish all the tasks a large knife can! I will also admit that skinning small game with a LC would be awkward (but still possible) while cutting up or chopping wood with anything less than the NASK would also present a problem:p
 
Almost all small game can be skinned with your hands fairly easy, not reason enough for me to require a small knife but the FK isn't a small knife to me.

I live fairly close to Lorien and can attest to the futility of some bushcraft techniques here.

With how wet it gets and stays here, I have more money spent on Arc'teryx gear than I do fixed blade knives.
 
JustinFournier said:
Almost all small game can be skinned with your hands fairly easy, not reason enough for me to require a small knife but the FK isn't a small knife to me.

I live fairly close to Lorien and can attest to the futility of some bushcraft techniques here.

With how wet it gets and stays here, I have more money spent on Arc'teryx gear than I do fixed blade knives.
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Fair enough..I knew I shouldn't have used that word..

Having not been quite that far north, I suppose I shouldn't assume. I've spent a decent amount of time in Maine and Vermont, but never further than that.

I agree, the FK is not a small knife in my opinion, just the smallest of the bunch.

Also, I haven't ever skinned an animal with my hands. That's pretty damn interesting, and is prompting further google research.

Although, there was this one time where I stared menacingly at a rabbit and it just jumped out of its skin..

Consider yourself one-upped.. just don't ask me to prove it or do it again.
 
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MikeKu825 said:
Fair enough..I knew I shouldn't have used that word..

Having not been quite that far north, I suppose I shouldn't assume. I've spent a decent amount of time in Maine and Vermont, but never further than that.

I agree, the FK is not a small knife in my opinion, just the smallest of the bunch.

Also, I haven't ever skinned an animal with my hands. That's pretty damn interesting, and is prompting further google research.
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Its your opinion Mike, this is what this thread is about, your opinion, there is really is no right or wrong answer, In the end what matters is what knife you fell most comfortable with.:cool:
 
TommyGun56 said:
Its your opinion Mike, this is what this thread is about, your opinion, there is really is no right or wrong answer, In the end what matters is what knife you fell most comfortable with.:cool:
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Very true. I just know that certain words have become very popular. Bushcraft is the perfect example to me.. I don't think I heard that term once in my first 30 years of life, despite being an avid hunter. Suddenly it's everywhere, and to me it feels like it carries a certain connotation. Kind of like the word "Vintage".

No biggie.
 
MikeKu825 said:

Also, I haven't ever skinned an animal with my hands. That's pretty damn interesting, and is prompting further google research.

Although, there was this one time where I started menacingly at a rabbit and it just jumped out of its skin..

Consider yourself one-upped.. just don't ask me to prove it or do it again.
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Well IME based on not having a gun you are fairly limited in what you will be able to harvest.

IME Grouse are fairly easy to get with sticks and rocks in particular at certain times of year, and the breast can be dressed in about 10 seconds with your hands and feet.

Squirrels aren't something I've caught by hand though I train the ones near my home in case I ever want to. Usually have 3-4 at any time and 10+ individuals through out the day. They can be skinned with a small cut and your hands.

In some areas gophers can be had with sticks and patience.

Then IME you need to get into trapping.

There is a lot you can forage from the coast line as well, even in tide pools if one is more hungry than picky. I'd head there first.
 
JustinFournier said:
Well IME based on not having a gun you are fairly limited in what you will be able to harvest.

IME Grouse are fairly easy to get with sticks and rocks in particular at certain times of year, and the breast can be dressed in about 10 seconds with your hands and feet.

Squirrels aren't something I've caught by hand though I train the ones near my home in case I ever want to. Usually have 3-4 at any time and 10+ individuals through out the day. They can be skinned with a small cut and your hands.

In some areas gophers can be had with sticks and patience.

Then IME you need to get into trapping.

There is a lot you can forage from the coast line as well, even in tide pools if one is more hungry than picky. I'd head there first.
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You definitely have options I'm not accustomed to. Also.. agreed with the grouse, as long as you see them. I probably haven't spent enough time hunting them to be able to sense them, so I've been startled by them when they decide I'm too close. I have occasionally been able to spot them early, but mostly they unexpectedly make me $hit my pants when I'm not paying enough attention.

Tide pools are a good example of something I would know absolutely nothing about, but probably should if I was going to be "Alone-ing" up there.

As far as knife set-up, I'd still struggle to remove the axe from my necessary inventory with any of these CPK options. Assuming I had an axe, I'd want to have a blade that complimented that as much as possible. The NASK is the one I would want if I had nothing else, but in the situation presented, I feel the FK has the upper hand.
 
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I'll stick with the FK I I have an axe, but if nothing other than one knife, LC all day. It would be great for trail clearing.

I've done crazy things to one, including hammering it through a 8"~ Yellow cedar round full of knots, to hammering it into a cherry tree and jumping on the handle. Something I would never do in a survival situation or probably ever again actually.

If Nathan does actually engrave a HDFK with 'FLUFFER' for me, I recant my previous statements and go all-in on it because it would obviously be one of the greatest knives ever made and the knife I'd put in my truck so it's always with me.

IMG_3390.JPG IMG_3392.JPG
 
I'll go with Light Chopper also Justin, because:

good big knife > good small knife

Ideally, I think the OPTIMAL load out would be a LC paired with a solid little slicer with a nice and pointy drop point like a Spyderco Chaparral...but that's outside the parameters of the poll. :(
 
Having never actually held a HDFK, it's automatically out of the running.

Lorien has more time with it than anyone I presume, so his endorsement speaks volumes.

Probably can't go too far wrong with any of them.
 
FK or maybe even EDC which I find more comfortable IF I have an axe.

If not, or if I want to run lighter than an axe and small knife... LC. Heck, I might do a LC and EDC over an axe anyway. I've always felt more comfortable with a larger knife than a smaller axe.
 
I'd skip the axe and find other useful things that weigh less, like a water filter
 
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